In a rational choice decision making process, a decision maker gathers all options and all information pertinent to those options, evaluates each of the options based on the gathered information, rank orders the options based on a value system, and selects the best of all possible options based on the ranking. In a crisis, however, the rational choice decision process is usually ineffective. There is typically not enough time, not enough information to characterize each of the options, and the options themselves are continuously changing. A decision maker typically cannot catch up to changing circumstances, keep track of those changes, and perform all the steps within the time frame allotted by the circumstances.
A recognition-primed decision process (an example of a naturalistic decision making framework), however, can be used effectively in a crisis. The recognition-primed decision process focuses on recognition changes in a situation to initiate decision-making, as opposed to conventional analytical approaches. In a recognition-primed decision process, a decision maker identifies and quickly selects limited information from what is available. The decision maker compares that information to scenarios in his or her personal knowledge base acquired over years of training and experience and identifies an option that is “good enough” to start working on the crisis. The decision maker then continually re-evaluates the good enough option in light of changing circumstances. If the option no longer matches the conditions in the current crisis, the decision maker rejects the option and seeks another “good enough” option from his or her personal knowledge base, and continues making decisions in response to the crisis based on the new option.